Vipac’s labs are NATA accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and the quality system is certified to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2015 by BSI. This ensures our acoustic test chambers are independently audited, and that international best quality practices are followed.
Our Air Distribution & Acoustic Laboratory, measuring 9 m x 4.2 m, can be used to conduct full-scale mock-ups of various Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. It’s large enough to allow airflow patterns to be modelled in three-dimensional space. Flow visualisation and video recording of smoke patterns can also be readily undertaken.
With a “quiet air supply,” the lab can produce measured flow rates from 10L/s to 3.500 L/s, at static pressure up to 1kPa. Air can be supplied at temperatures between 7°C and 50°C for non-isothermal testing. Conforming to ISO 3741, it’s also connected to a second reverberation chamber (5.2 m x 5.2 m x 5.2 m), allowing for the testing of insertion and transmission loss.
Services include:
- Testing to ASHRAE, ARI, ADC, AMCA, ISO, BSI, and Australian standards
- Fan testing (up to 500kW)
- Air diffusion (10°C to 45°C) and occupant comfort testing (ADPI, PMV and PPD)
- Sound testing (sound power determination)
- Leakage testing of smoke and fire dampers
- Airflow visualisation
- Measurements of flow, pressure drop and throw
- Silencer insertion loss (static and dynamic)
- Water penetration, discharge coefficient, and wind load testing of weather louvres
Systems and component testing:
- Fans (design, development, and performance testing)
- Louvres and vents (design, development, and performance testing)
- Grille, diffusers, and other HVAC component testing
- VAV (variable air volume) terminals (singular and multiple outlets)
- Evaporative air-conditioners
- Duct (silencer), including general domestic ventilation, cooling / heating, and industrial use
- Light / air boots, and mixing boxes
- Fibrous insulation, and dampers
For further information, please click on one of the below areas of testing.
Smoke and fire dampers in action
Damper testing
Quality dampers minimise property damage and save lives as they’re a crucial element of preventing the spread of fire and smoke. To develop and verify dampers to an adequate standard, extensive performance testing is required.
Vipac's Air Distribution & Acoustic Laboratory provides a highly specialised facility for the design, development, and performance testing of all types of dampers (such as fire / smoke dampers, pressure relief dampers, VCD and NRD).
Testing can be undertaken in accordance with Singapore standards, UL, AMCA, BS, ISO, and Australian standards. Performance tests include:
- Air flow measurements
- Pressure
- Acoustic measurements
- Smoke visualisation
- Temperature
- Cycling tests
- Temperature degradation tests
- Operation tests
- Dynamic closure tests
- Closed-blade air leakage tests (ambient air)
- Closed-blade air leakage tests (at high temperatures)
Grille, diffuser, and other HVAC component testing
HVAC components may be designed for ceiling, wall or floor mounting, and for use in supply or exhaust air applications. Vipac’s Air Distribution and Acoustic Laboratory provides a highly specialised facility for the design, development, and performance testing of air distribution systems and individual HVAC components like grilles, diffusers, light troffers, ventilators, louvres and chilled beams.
In our lab, airflow patterns are modelled in three-dimensional space. Flow visualisation and video recording of smoke patterns can be readily undertaken. With a “quiet air supply,” it can produce measured flow rates from 10 L/s to 3.500 L/s, at static pressures up to 1kPa. Air can be supplied at temperatures between 7°C and 50°C for non-isothermal testing.
Testing can be undertaken in accordance with ASHRAE, ARI, ADC, AMCA, ISO, BSI, and Australian standards. Performance tests include:
- Airflow measurements
- Pressure
- Acoustic measurements
- Smoke visualisation
- Temperature (air, radiant and surface)
- Humidity
- Discharge coefficient
- Leakage
- Water penetration
- Air quality
Louvre performance testing
Selecting the correct louvre system that can withstand harsh weather conditions — while also allowing efficient inward and outward air movements — can be critical to the performance of your building.
Vipac provides a highly specialised facility for the design, development, and performance testing of louvres. We can conduct performance ratings of all weather or performance louvres (and vents) to establish discharge coefficient and effective aerodynamic areas (AS 4740).
Performance tests include:
- Rain resistance
- Effective aerodynamic area
- Discharge coefficient
- Wind loading
- Acoustic performance
- Smoke visualisation
VAV terminals performance testing
To achieve occupant comfort, it’s important your building’s VAV (variable air volume) terminals are operating at their optimal level.
Vipac uses its Twin Reverberation Chambers for performance testing of VAV terminals with single or multiple outlets (or fan powered), where both radiated and discharge sound power levels are measured simultaneously at minimum operating pressure and rated airflows (ARI 880).
Performance testing includes:
- Airflow
- Pressure
- Discharge noise
- Casing radiation
- Casing leakage
Duct (silencer) performance testing
An extensive range of air-conditioning ducts come with an array of features for different applications — from general domestic ventilation to custom design for industrial use in the removal of dust and fumes. But ductwork can generate unwanted noises from fans and other mechanical systems, and cause occupant distress.
Attenuation of sound in ducts and pipes is a fundamental area of research within Vipac’s NATA-accredited lab. We offer a range of services to help your building meet acoustical and airflow performance requirements, defined by different standards and specified by different users.
Our duct (silencer) performance tests measure friction loss, airflow performance, pressure, air leakage, thermal performance, static or dynamic insertion loss, breakout noise, and smoke visualisation.
Fan performance testing
Vipac’s Fan Development Laboratory is the only independent, NATA accredited fan facility in Asia-Pacific, used for optimising design, development, and fan performance.
With the availability of almost limitless power (up to 500W) and test laboratories up to 60 metres in length, we can test any fan in commercial production for:
- Airflow measurements
- Pressure
- Temperature
- Acoustic measurements
- Humidity
- Smoke visualisation
- Performance curves
- Power measurements
Our lab maintains several fan test rigs that comply with the requirements of AMCA, ASHRAE, ARI, BS, and AS standards for centrifugal, axial, propeller, and ceiling fans. Our Twin Reverberation Chambers, of up to 21 metres in length, enable testing of radiated and discharge sound power levels, as well as airflows at any static duty point.
Fan design for minimum noise is a major thrust in laboratory and analytical methods, such as CFD (computational fluid dynamics). Along with axial fan design using the R.A. Wallis methodology, both are widely adopted.
Chilled beams performance testing
Using passive and active chilled beams can greatly assist your building by using far less energy than other HVAC systems. That in turn significantly improves its overall thermal comfort and reduces operating costs.
Vipac has extensive capabilities with chilled beams and all other aspects of HVAC systems. Services include:
- Testing the cooling, thermal, and environmental performances of chilled beams during product development
- Tailored installation method assessment
- Simulation “mock-up” testing for specific project applications: “Mock-up” testing ensures the installation will meet a building’s required cooling and comfort criteria, and enables for real-world scenarios to be explored and experienced in a controlled environment before installation onsite.
- Comparative product evaluation: As we independently test HVAC products during development stages, we’re uniquely placed to advise which products on the market are best suited for your project specifications.
Building Approval, Design & Construction Services
Getting a new development to run to schedule requires professional expertise of a team that has experience and an understanding of the building and construction industry. We’ve been assisting architects, property developers and builders at every stage of the building process — from approval, to design, to construction. Drawing on the skills and experience of our multidisciplinary team that includes indoor climate studies, we’re able to provide consulting and testing services for building and design needs. Check out our latest capability statement and how we can assist with your current or next project.